One Hundred And One Ways To Get Your Lover
by sprout sinistra
Summary: Ginny is running out of patience.... (Because of the time this was written: Out of Canon, because of one scene)
1. First Way: Show him he's not the only bo

A/N: A big thank you to Anne, who beta- read this story for us. Without your advice this story might not be like it is now. Next a big thanks to Imogen, who allowed us to use stolen socks. She owes that idea, and we are just - very thankfully- playing with it.  
  
Sue's (college girl's) A/N: I'd like to say thank you to all our fans. You guys are great, and you keep us going!! Now send out the reviews ;)  
  
Carrie's A/N: I'd like to say thank you to our readers. Without you, we would definitely miss something. Then a big thank you to Sue- my wonderful co-author: Without you, this chapter wouldn't be finished by now... Writing with you is always a blast. And last but not least: A big thank you to Liz. Without you, this story would never have been written. This story is dedicated to Liz, for being a great friend. :(  
  
One Hundred And One Ways To Get Your Lover  
  
First Way: Show him he's not the only boy in town.  
  
The seventh year girls' dormitory was almost totally dark. Only one little flame was dancing in front of the Head Girl's bed. Hermione Granger was leaning on her bed, while she listened to her friend's problems.  
  
"Hermione, I'm sick and tired of giving him time. It's been a whole year since I found out that Harry's feelings for me go so much deeper. Why is this boy even more thick-headed than my dearest brother? It only took Ron five months to come to his senses...ouch." Ginny Weasley tried to reach for a book on the other side of the candle , when she felt the flame burn her.  
  
"Oh that's so typical." The girl was swearing under her breath while she searched for her wand, speaking a quick freezing charm.  
  
"Gin, calm down. Be fair to him. He has so many things to worry about, he doesn't have time to analyse his feelings. He still thinks that he has a crush on Kaitie Brown... I'm amazed he doesn't still think he has feelings for Cho," the older girl answered, shaking with silent laughter.  
  
"She's a fifth year. Honestly, I only know that if he doesn't open his eyes soon, the frustration will drive me mad," Ginny answered, as she got to her feet. "I'll go to bed now...it doesn't make any sense, to keep going over it over and over again."  
  
"Wait, what you just said made sense. I never thought of it until now . Gin, you are a genius."  
  
"Uhm, what? Why?" Ginny looked bewildered. She was slightly confused. She had no idea what she'd just said that was such a great idea. "WE have to open his eyes. You have to help him to get the connection," Hermione answered impatiently.  
  
"Exactly Hermione, I'll just point at him and say: Me Gin, you Harry. Harry loves Gin, not Kaitie." She rolled her eyes at the very thought of Hermione's suggestion. "I don't mean it like that, and you know it," Hermione said in a rush. "Now come here. We have two months till the spring ball. We have lots to do before then."  
  
An hour later Ginny's head was spinning. "And you really think that Harry will get it?" she asked, still doubtful. When the other girl nodded, she started to smile broadly. "Well then, I guess we have a plan."  
  
*** The next day in the Gryffindor Common Room:  
  
Ron and Harry were sitting in one corner, next to the fireplace. The two boys were enjoying a nice game of Exploding Snap while they waited for the girls.  
  
From time to time Harry looked up from the cards in his hands and let his eyes wander over to Kaitie Brown, Lavender's little sister. He would love to take the sweet, shy, blond-haired girl with him to the ball in two months. But he was sure that there were hundreds of others who had already asked her. In that second, some movement at the staircase to the girls' dormitories caught his eye. Hermione and Ginny were coming down, laughing heartily. And for a second it was as if his insides were melting, as his gaze locked with Ginny's.. He sighed. Ginny surely was a wonderful, sweet girl but...His eyes wandered back to Kaitie. Maybe if he asked Lavender...surely she should know if her little sister... Harry mentally slapped himself. After what happened at the Yule Ball in fourth year, there was no way that she would help him.... Harry felt as if he was being watched. He looked back at the cards in his hands, only to look seconds later into the eyes of his best friend. Ron had been watching him carefully, and now he was smiling knowingly at him.  
  
"What?" Harry asked, irritated.  
  
"Nothing," Ron answered, rubbing his hands and looking slightly uncomfortable.  
  
"Nothing? Why are you staring at me then?"  
  
"I just thought you had smudge on your nose. It's gone now. Must have been my imagination." Ron answered, blushing slightly. Harry knew that Ron wasn't telling the whole truth, but he didn't want to talk about it any longer. His eyes drifted back to Kaitie. This was the best way of getting lost, contemplating the way her hair was shimmering in the candlelight. Then he heard his friend's voice again.  
  
"Say Harry? Nah, never mind."  
  
"Uhm, what?" Harry was irritated now. What the hell was so bad that Ron couldn't talk to him about it? They had been friends for seven years now, but sometimes Ron was a complete mystery to him. Why couldn't he simply say what the matter was instead of speaking in riddles?  
  
"It's none of my business, anyway." Ron's voice was shaky, and Harry wondered if his friend had bad news for him. He forced himself to stop watching Kaitie, and looked at Ron more closely instead.  
  
"What? Come on, you can tell me." By now he was really worried.  
  
" Oh well, I was just wondering who you were going to take to the ball," Ron asked, looking unsure. Harry could have punched his friend there and then. What gave Ron the right to ask such a simple question in such a melodramatic way? After all, Harry's nerves were not the best, and what Ron had just done was a form of torture, although Harry had to admit that it was a funny situation somehow. Ron had sounded as if.... An evil plan formed in his head.  
  
"Oh Ron, I never knew you fancied me...We can go to the ball together. I just don't know what Hermione will make of the idea. Besides, I haven't got a thing to wear. "  
  
"Wha-WHAT?!?! Oh no, Harry, you got it all wrong..." Ron stopped suddenly, as if he were actually considering Harry's suggestion . Harry had to bite his tongue to stop himself from bursting out laughing. "You mean, you really would have gone with me if I'd asked?"  
  
"Sure Ron...If Snape has already a date .... RON, what...do...you...think???" Harry asked, shaking from laughter.  
  
"Well, perhaps someone isn't getting a birthday present from me this year?. Now, if I can get back to the original conversation..." Ron ran his hand through his red hair.He was blushing , but he really wanted an answer, or so Harry thought. "You're not planning on asking that Brown girl to the spring ball, are you?"  
  
"Uhm, why not?" Harry asked, somewhat shocked that Ron wasn't that thick- headed anymore. " I heard that she's going with Dennis." The answer came fast and without explanation. Harry felt his stomach start to ache, and for a second he thought that it would become impossible to breathe. But suddenly he could see Dennis' face his mind's eye, and the shock was overwhelming.  
  
"With Dennis? Colin Creevey's annoying little brother???" He was furious now. " What sensible girl would go with Dennis to the spring ball?"  
  
"Well, apparently Kaitie Brown is," Ron said shortly. He seemed to find the situation amusing . Harry wanted to scream.  
  
"Oh you git...and you call yourself my friend? How long have you known?" Harry's eyes darkened. If Hermione were to go out with another boy, he'd have told Ron straight away. Well, Ron and Hermione were a couple, but that wasn't the point. He sighed deeply. Why were girls so complicated?  
  
"Well...Ginny told me! This morn...er, afternoon. And you know Ginny would never lie," the other boy answered in a rush. He was not in the mood for a bloody nose, just because of Dennis and Kaitie. He would rather meet Aragog again than tell Harry that not only had Dennis asked the girl to the ball, but also had asked her out.  
  
"Ginny can tell him that," he thought grimly.  
  
"Ohh, well...that's true, Ginny is far too sweet and innocent to lie..."  
  
"Um...yeah." Ron agreed lamely, before mumbling under his breath. "Easy for you to say, you haven't had to live with her for sixteen years." Then he raised his voice again, making sure that Ginny could hear him from the other side of the room. "Ginny has always been the honest one of the family."  
  
"What do you mean?" Harry sounded confused.  
  
"She never lies, never cheats, never gets in trouble...how does she do it? I don't know." Ron looked troubled. "She's not as innocent as she looks, Harry. She just has all the adults eating out of her hands. She always gets what she wants, you can bet on it!"  
  
"Oh Ron, you just think so because you're her brother... You're supposed to think that way. But I'd bet all the gold in Gringott's that she'd never say an untrue word."  
  
"Just trust me, Harry, she'll get exactly what she wants. Don't blame her though. In fact, that's what makes her my favourite sister...well, that and the fact that she's my only sister." Ron didn't see Ginny approaching . She sat down in the chair next to Harry.  
  
Ginny looked curiously at the two of them, before she spoke up. "Oh what is he saying about me this time? I swear, I haven't taken your socks," the girl said blushing furiously.  
  
"Socks?" Harry was bewildered. What did she mean? Had he forgotten something? He looked at Hermione, but she just looked back at him with the same blank expression. But before he could think of anything further, the other boy spoke up again.  
  
"Ginny has a real sock fetish Harry, you should be careful," he said, glancing meaningfully into Harry's direction. Then he looked back at Ginny, and it seemed as if he'd suddenly remembered something: "Speaking of socks, did you steal my new pair of grey ones?"  
  
"Uhm, no Ron...I really don't have any idea where they are." Ginny answered blushing, as she tried to adjust her school robes a bit. Harry watched, fascinated. Ron and Ginny seemed to tease each other a lot. Sometimes, he wished that he also had somebody to tease.  
  
"If I catch you with those socks Gin!"  
  
"Hey, aren't you hungry?" Ginny said suddenly, changing the subject abruptly, before getting up. Ron was silent for several seconds, obviously thinking about Ginny's suggestion.  
  
"When aren't I? C'mon Harry, let's go!" He said, and Harry thought that it did look as if he had just decided that he could continue to tease Ginny just as well after he had dinner.  
  
"Okay," Harry said, looking again at an equally confused Hermione. Kaitie Brown was forgotten for now.  
  
The four of them passed through the long corridors of Hogwarts, barely speaking a word. Ron and Hermione were walking hand in hand by now, and Harry felt a pang of jealousy. Not that he wanted to be with Hermione ...just the thought of his best friend... He shook his head violently.... No, he was jealous of what they had. He wanted to hold hands with Kaitie; he wanted to laugh with her about stupid things that only they understood. As his mind started to drift off, he suddenly felt Ginny slip next to him. He heard her make a strange noise, and in the next second he held her in a strong grip, preventing her from falling. She was so incredibly soft, and for some reason it felt right to hold her in his arms.  
  
"Probably, my brotherly feelings for her are stronger than I imagined," he reassured himself, as he looked into those soft brown eyes.  
  
"Thank you, Harry," she said before stepping away from him. "We should speed up if we want to catch up with the others." Her voice sounded as if she were explaining how to use a wand. She didn't blush a bit, and for some unknown reason that annoyed him. Without waiting for him, she started walking in the direction of the Great Hall once more.  
  
He agreed a bit louder than necessary and started to run after her. She was now directly in front of him, and suddenly he wondered how easy it would be for him to pick her up and spin her around. But only in a brotherly way, he reminded himself.  
  
Back at the Burrow, he had seen pictures of the Weasley children. And in one of the pictures, Bill was spinning a five-year-old Ginny around. Ginny was laughing in the picture, and he was curious if she would still like it as much.  
  
However, before he could think of it any further, Ginny stopped dead in her tracks, and Harry ran directly into her. They had reached the entrance of the Great Hall by now. "Sorry," he said in a rush, blushing.  
  
"It's okay," Ginny answered, taking his hand in hers. "I'll guide you to Gryffindor table though. Don't want you to run any more girls down."  
  
When she smiled at him, Harry realised how pretty she looked like this. Without objection, he followed her, wondering for a brief moment with whom Ginny wanted to got to the ball with.  
  
Hermione and Ron where already sitting at the table. They looked rather busy, only not with eating.... Harry had to concentrate hard not to burst out laughing... He never thought that Ron could forget food, ever. He sat down next to Ginny and let his eyes wander over their House Table. Most of the students had already finished their dinner, and the Professors' table was totally empty by now.  
  
Harry didn't pay attention to the conversations that were going on around him. He was just starting to drift off again, when he heard something that made him look up.  
  
"Draco looks nice today," Ginny said to no one in particular. Had he heard right? Surely she had said it sarcastically, and he was only meant to say a good answer. He thought fast, searching for a fitting reply.  
  
"Yeah, compared to those Flobberworms we worked with in Care of Magical Creatures this morning," he stated, rather proud with himself. Ginny would like that.  
  
He had just taken his glass of pumpkin juice, ready to drink when, he heard her say, "Oh no, Harry don't be so critical...He does look quite nice." The glass slipped from his hand, and in seconds the table was soaked. What was wrong with her? He swore under his breath, ready to burst any second, before he took his wand out and did the necessary spell to dry the wet material in front of him.  
  
"Ginny, are you feeling all right? You're talking about MALFOY." She started to laugh and Harry wondered what was that funny. Surely she had just made a cruel joke. He felt more confident again. He turned his face and looked into her eyes. She was up to something, but he had no idea what she would say next. It was, as he had never known her. Maybe he really had never known her.  
  
"I feel perfectly fine, Harry. Just look at him.... He has grown up a lot in the past few years...and his smile is really cute."  
  
"Yeah, I think I'm starting to feel a little sick. I'd better get back to the common room." It was the truth. He felt like protecting Ginny. He didn't like to hear her speaking like that, especially when it was about Malfoy. He snorted. How could a Weasley believe for just one second that Draco Malfoy was cute?  
  
"Oh Harry, come on...Just admit that he's cute, and I'll stop saying it...Oh, oh, have I told you? I think Draco..." She giggled softly, and Harry asked himself when did Ginny start giggling like that? "...I think he wants to take me to the Ball."  
  
Enough was enough. Everything seemed to go blurry in front of him. She couldn't be considering going with that.... He couldn't even find a word to describe Malfoy, he was so surprised at what she'd just told him.. Suddenly he burst out loud, "No Ginny, there is no way you're going to the ball with Malfoy!"  
  
"Why not? I mean it's not like I want to go with Snape..." She looked for a second straight into his eyes, as if she were daring him to say she couldn't go with Snape. Then she turned away and started to grin at Snape, who had just crossed the Hall, looking as sour as always. In seconds he was gone again.  
  
" Did you notice? He's wearing his hair slightly different." Harry wanted to scream. What happened to the little girl, he had met at the Burrow. When exactly did she become such a scarlet woman? His mind was racing.  
  
"Ginny! You are not..." he started. Suddenly he realized that somebody was missing from the argument, Ron! Why wasn't he yelling at her, taking Harry's side? After all, she was his sister. "Are you going to just sit there and let her say things like that?" Ron looked confused, when he finally looked up from his deep conversation with Hermione. It was clear to Harry that he had no idea what was going on.  
  
"Oh well, Harry, she's almost grown up now, but seeing that you are just like another brother to me," Ron said a bit lamely, "I'm sure you can handle whatever it is," he finished, just before Hermione turned his head towards her again. No, Hermione was definitely not being helpful with this situation. Harry couldn't give up.  
  
"Ron! This is important! Take your hands off of Hermione for two seconds, and you'd..." He sighed. There was no way that Ron would interrupt his conversation with Hermione a second time. "Oh, what's the use? Ginny I forbid you to even think about Malfoy...or any other Slytherin for that matter!"  
  
"You forbid ME??? Harry, first I haven't even said that I would say yes to Draco. Even if you can't imagine it, there are many boys who would love to take me to the ball. And second, this is my decision to make, not yours," Ginny argued hotly. Her face was flushed now, and she looked angrily at him. But Harry did not feel like shutting up. He tried to think fast. What could he say to make her change her mind?  
  
"Ginny, you know I'd support any decision you make, but NOT Draco. Anyone but him! How about Neville? He's a nice bloke. Why don't you go to the ball with Neville?"  
  
"Neville? Neville is Hannah Abbot's boyfriend... haven't you heard?...They have been together for over a year...but you said, you'd support anything I did?" she said, her eyes glittering evilly. Harry wasn't sure anymore, if he liked the direction this discussion was going. Maybe it wasn't that much fun trying to protect her?  
  
"Er...um, yeah...Just as long as it's not a Slytherin," he tried carefully. Maybe he could manage to make the best of the whole situation.  
  
"Oh...that's too bad...but okay." Ginny seemed to be thinking of what to say next. Her hands were resting in her lap, and she seemed to relax a bit. Without realizing it, Harry, too, became calmer again. "What do you think about someone older? You know we are allowed to bring former Hogwarts students to the ball." She said those words very slowly, as if she was still considering every single word.  
  
"Er... wouldn't a former student a little bit old for you?" Harry was shocked. Whom was she thinking about? Why didn't she just go with a seventh year?  
  
"Oh Harry, I'm almost seventeen, and I won't choose some fifty year old.... Come on." She looked amused, although her voice was pleading. She really seemed to want his approval , and somehow, he liked the idea.  
  
"Oh, all right. Who is he?" He prepared for the worst.  
  
"Well, I think Sirius Black is cute...and he has experience with women." "Sirius? Are you serious?" He felt his jaw drop. Sirius was old enough to be her father. He felt like screaming again. The mental picture of Ginny coming into the Great Hall, led by his godfather was almost too much.  
  
", Okay I know he's your Godfather, but he's really hot...I wonder how he..." she started to blush furiously, and Harry had a nasty mental picture, although she never did finish that sentence. That was just sickening.  
  
"But he's too old for you!" He could see that she was ready to argue that point, and he hastily added, "Besides that, he, uh...he has a girlfriend!"  
  
" OH, well then he's out. ," Her face fell for a second, before she practically started to grin... with excitement? Happiness? He wasn't too sure. "But I know that Oliver Wood is single...and he's hot, too.... and younger."  
  
"I think I heard that he has a girlfriend, too!" Harry answered, relieved that he sometimes listened to Lavender's gossip. "I guess you're just out of luck then, Ginny." He was trying hard to sound sorry. After all, he wanted Ginny to be happy.  
  
"Nope they broke up...Fred told me...I guess I'll go with Oliver," she almost sang. He wondered for a second how long it would take before she would start dancing.  
  
"Well... how do you know he's free? He just got the Keeper position on the Cannons...I'm sure he's in training!" he tried again. Since when, was it that hard to talk Ginny out of something? She merely smiled back at him, as if there was no problem.  
  
"Oh Harry, and...? It's good that he's in training, isn't it? I heard that men in training, you know..." she hurriedly turned away, colouring.  
  
"Well, you know, I've been training a lot lately," he blurted out, before he could stop himself. As if that statement had suddenly cured her shyness, she turned back again. Her eyes were searching his face. And suddenly Harry was blushing furiously. Automatically he looked down at his glass, hoping that he could for once disappear right then. "Not that I meant anything by that, I just...So, how was your day?"  
  
"Oh, don't go and change the subject, just when it's getting interesting." He could almost see Ginny's smile, realising how she liked teasing him. All at once, he didn't like the idea of treating Ginny like a sister, anymore. "Come on Harry." He felt her hand resting on his own, before she continued. "You can tell me. Are the rumours true?" Harry gulped. The temperature had definitely risen. He started to loosen his tie a bit. This couldn't be happening! He couldn't talk to Ginny about that. Not now, and not in hundred years for that matter.  
  
"Erm...I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"Sure Harry...but it's okay...I'll find out, in two months...Wonder what Oliver has to say on that subject," she said, before she started to giggle softly. She looked dreamily up at the ceiling, as if she had forgotten that he was even there.  
  
"You can't go with Oliver!" He shouted out, suddenly seeing a vision of the two of them, talking, laughing, dancing, or even worse.  
  
"HARRY! Not again... You promised me that you would support ANY decision, as long as I don't take a Slytherin with me," Ginny answered stubbornly. What could he say now? "Well, it's just that...um...HERMIONE!" Harry felt relief floating through his body. Hermione would surely come to his rescue. After all Hermione, seemed to be Ginny's best friend. The other girl looked up questioningly for a second, . However, he just shrugged his shoulders, unsure of what else he could do, and so she turned her attention back to Ron. "Harry, you have to think fast. This is your last chance after all," he told himself.  
  
"Hermione used to have a huge crush on Oliver in third year. I know she's got Ron now, but still, it would just crush her if you went out with him." Ginny looked in his direction unimpressed with this argument. In fact, she almost looked annoyed.  
  
" Show me the girl who never had a crush on Oliver. I said he is HOT...and I will go with Oliver.... This discussion is officially over." She sighed before she stood up. "Hermione? Are you coming?" Ginny asked. Hermione looked apologetically over at her boyfriend, and mouthed "sorry", before she, too, got up, ready to follow Ginny.  
  
"See you later Harry. I have to go write a letter to Oliver now."  
  
"Gin! Wait!" Harry called out, but it was too late. Ginny and Hermione had already left. He felt frustrated. Why wouldn't Ginny listen to him? He turned to Ron, somehow hoping that his friend could shed some light onto the situation .  
  
"What was that conversation all about, and where was my brain while it was going on?"  
  
"Honestly, I don't know, but I know where mine was...." the other boy answered, still looking after Hermione. He looked as if he was in a trance. In the next instant he had jumped up, and run out of the Hall, leaving a very confused Harry behind. 


	2. Way 2: Play your game, and keep control ...

Way 2: Play your game, and keep control - He might learn fast.  
  
Harry was sitting near the window-sill reading through his potions homework. Why couldn't school, especially potions feel as natural as Quidditch? He swore silently under his breath feeling more and more frustrated. This was simply not making any sense. His eyes wandered over to the window watching those students who were enjoying themselves in the cool December sun. In the crowd, he could make out Kaitie Brown and Dennis Creevey. Harry sighed deeply. He had found out the hard way that the two of them were a couple, but oddly enough it hadn't hurt too badly when he'd found out. It had been...almost like a relief to him...His eyes drifted further, his homework long forgotten.  
  
"Hey, Harry, how are you?" He whirled around, surprised by the girl who was addressing him. He had been so deeply lost in thought, he hadn't heard her approach at all. In her hand she was holding an envelope, and air of triumph about her.  
  
"Hi...Good"  
  
"Why are you being so short with me? Still angry because I have a date for the ball and you don't have one?" she asked smiling sweetly, producing a funny feeling inside his stomach. It seemed as if she wanted to tease him, which was probably the case, he decided firmly. He took a deep breath, holding onto the parchment more strongly than was necessary.  
  
Oh, so Oliver said yes?" Harry answered trying to smile happily, but something told him that his smile looked more forced than full of excitement.  
  
"You bet...I mean you didn't think he would say no, did you?" she stepped closer, her deep brown eyes seeming to search his eyes for an answer. Harry just wished that he knew what she was seeking for. With a sigh, she continued. "After all I have six brothers, and they might not like the idea of me dating, but I can assure you they would be even more unhappy to know that a boy thinks I'm not good enough for him." Her eyes were twinkling, in a way he never knew they could, and he started to wonder what this was all about.  
  
"Must be lucky...mind if I borrow your brothers for a second?" Ginny looked at him questioningly, making Harry continue. "They could help me get a date." As soon as he had said those words he immediately regretted them. The Weasley boys were the last people he wanted around when he asked a girl out. He could just picture the scenario. Either they would tease him endlessly, never letting him live things down, or the girl would tell him that he was a very nice boy, but that she'd always had this secret crush on one of the Weasleys. Yes, that was definitely out.  
  
"Oh...I think they are not really interested in screaming at girls, just because you need a date. ...But if you ask me for help I might be able to help you out...I hear Professor Sinistra still doesn't have a date." He should have known better than to tell Ginny about his dating problems. Of course she would tease him forever.  
  
"Oh wonderful! I'll rush right out and ask her. You're such a great help Ginny!" Ginny started to giggle at this, and for a split second he realized how beautiful it sounded. It was as if the sun was shining more brightly. There must have been a cloud over it.  
  
"Glad I could help...no seriously Harry, if you need help with a date, I might be able to help you."  
  
"I am serious! I'm going to ask Professor Sinistra. Have you ever seen her let her hair down? I mean, wow..." Serves her right for teasing me with Sirius and Snape. Well at least I hope she WAS joking about them.  
  
"HARRY...she's at least thirty...you're insane to even consider this." She really looked shocked, and Harry had to bite his lip...otherwise he would have burst out laughing right there.  
  
"Ginny! I'm joking...Actually, if you want to help, that'd be great. What do you think about Cho Chang?" He had no real idea with whom he could go with, and Cho had written in her last letter that she was coming back to England on holiday with her fiancé whom she wanted to introduce to her family. If he remembered right, she had said spring and he was sure that she would help him out. Ginny on the other hand looked crestfallen. He had no real clue why, but he enjoyed imagining that she hated the idea of him dating Cho as much as he hated the idea of Oliver Wood dating Ginny. They were friends: of course they cared about whom the other was dating, right?  
  
"Cho..."It seemed that she was choosing her words very carefully. "That's a very good idea... Actually, I was going to suggest her too." She had been teasing him, and she'd probably go on teasing him till the ball, so why not try to tease back? He made up his mind  
  
"You think so? That's great! I think I'll ask her then."  
  
"Really? Well go ahead then...uhm Harry, not that it would be any problem...but you know that Cho is on the other side of the earth and has a boyfriend...I mean it really doesn't matter since you are going as friends, right? You are going as friends?" Was that panic in her voice? Did she really think that he wasn't over Cho by now?  
  
"She has a boyfriend?" He really tried his best to look disappointed about it. To his horror Ginny looked as if she was going to cry for a second, and Harry was touched by how worried she was about her friends.  
  
"Yeah she has a boyfriend...he's the same age as Oliver, and I heard they are very serious, you know?"  
  
"Well...I suppose we could just go as friends then...Besides, who knows? Maybe they'll have broken up by the time the ball gets here." He almost felt bad about saying that. He knew how much Cho was in love with her fiancé and Ginny on the other hand looked really troubled, but she hadn't cared one bit about his feelings, when she had talked to him about her fantasies. In Merlin's name, that girl deserved to suffer.  
  
"Harry, I thought you fancied someone else."  
  
"Well, Katie is with Dennis now. Besides, aren't I allowed to change my mind?"  
  
"Oh, you fancy Katie?" He had let his secret slip without even realizing it. How had that happened? Should he deny it, and would she believe him if he did? He felt like a trapped animal. Not only because she asked this question but also, because he wasn't sure of the answer.  
  
"Yes, I did." He was aware of the fact that his face was practically glowing with embarrassment. "I thought you knew that. Who were you talking about?"  
  
"I didn't know...I just assumed that you had feelings for someone else." Was that a slight blush that was creeping up her cheeks? Probably it was just imagination, but even if it was just the light, it was a nice sight. "I didn't think of anyone in particular."  
  
"Oh." Her eyes were so sincere and something Harry couldn't name, but whatever it was made him unable to meet her gaze. "Nope, no one else. Just Katie..."  
  
"It's okay Harry... I won't tell anybody." Suddenly he felt a slender finger under his chin, forcing him to meet her brown eyes again. It was as if a lighting bolt had just crashed into the floor next to him. "I promise." This time, smiling was very easy for him.  
  
"Thanks Ginny."  
  
"Anytime." And an instant later he could make out her teasing smile again..."But now I will read what Oliver says in his letter... It's soooo sweet...You know? He is the best looking Quidditch player Hogwarts has ever seen."  
  
"Hey ...wait!" Harry exclaimed. "I always thought that you think I am the cutest Quidditch player Hogwarts has ever seen!" he continued but Ginny had already started sprinting away from him.  
  
~***~  
  
Ginny had just been in the Owlery, playing a bit with Pig, when she had received an owl from Fred and George. A very mysterious owl indeed. It had just said:  
  
Dear Gin, Go, and find Ron. It's finally pay back day. We PROMISE you won't regret it.  
Love,  
Fred and George PS: When will you ever tell us, who your favourite brother is?  
  
She had an idea what they were paying Ron back for, and Ginny felt slightly guilty. It had been her "fault" because of all the brothers she could have had complained to when Ron had ruined something that should stay unnamed here, she had chosen them. So she hurried downstairs, hoping to find Ron in the Common Room. She would tell him it was a joke, if whatever Fred and George had cooked up was too cruel, but if it wasn't, she would make sure to enjoy the show. The portrait swung open, allowing Ginny to enter the big, comfy Common Room. In an instant she spotted Ron, looking as if he would start crying any second. She was scared now.  
  
"Hey, Ron, what's wrong?"  
  
"Hey." It sounded just as miserable as he looked. "Um, the Daily Prophet says that they're thinking about taking the Chudley Cannons out of the league." That was troubling Ron so badly? He had scared her half to death because of an idiotic Quidditch team? He would pay...not only for destroying her stuff but also for this...  
  
"Really? Well, it was time, but poor Oliver."  
  
"Ginny! I know you don't care about the Cannons as much as I do... but you could pretend you're sorry." He had turned very red, still holding the paper in disbelief, while muttering about the greatness of the Cannons.  
  
"Oh, okay, as you wish, dearest brother." She tried her most shocked face, and she thought that she was doing a good job, because Ron looked for a second as if he was satisfied. "I'm so sorry, Ron. I give you my deepest sympathies. I'm sure the Cannons are running around in little lost Quidditch team heaven right now, happy as can be."  
  
"Oh shut it...." He made a swift movement of his hand, showing her that she wasn't wanted there anymore. But as Ginny was about to get up, he suddenly screamed out a very definite WAIT. His eyes widened as he looked back and forth between the paper and Ginny. "Ginny, wait... you're going to the Spring Ball with Oliver Wood."  
  
"Yes, I know that Ron." He was keeping her under such good surveillance. She felt rather proud.  
  
"Well, my dearest sister... The Daily Prophet also says that the Falcons are trading a few of their best players...Maybe...no surely you can convince Oliver that he should pick them up. Do whatever is necessary."  
  
"Ron..." Something in his voice had scared her. It was as if he was totally focussed on this idea and didn't even stop to think about what he was really saying. "Oliver's my date, I don't own him. I have no idea how to tell him something like... that. I mean, he has tons more experience."  
  
"Oh, that is so typical Ginny... It's important for the team." Ron sounded frustrated. "You just have to seduce him a bit, and then I'm sure he'll do whatever you want. It's for the CANNONS."  
  
"Are you still sane? Dear brother, I'm NOT doing anything like that, besides how'd I do seduce him into something like that?" Ginny thought she had played long enough along the lines. She was not going to seduce Oliver in any way just because Ron told her so. This was insane: she was not willing to do anything else with Oliver than dancing and talking.  
  
"Gin, are you a girl or not? Smile at him, talk to him, be sweet and be seductive." Ginny was about to tell her brother off, when she saw Harry Potter coming closer. If she wanted him to open his eyes, she needed a bit more... charm? Well, honestly, whatever worked would be just fine.  
  
"You're right Ron." She tried to talk a bit louder to catch Harry's attention without being too obvious. "Me seducing Oliver will be a piece of cake!"  
  
"So you'll do me the favour?" Ron smiled hopefully, and Ginny who was rather sure that this was another good strategy to attain her goal, nodded eagerly.  
  
"Oh no, I'll do him the favour." She smiled, feeling more mysterious and pretty than she'd ever thought. She really needed to write Oliver another letter, or he might get confused.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Harry cut in, looking mildly bewildered.  
  
"Oh, just a personal favour I agreed to do. That's all." She tried to sound light, but also to get Harry to ask more about it, and bingo, he asked about it. This was working out better than anything she could have planned. " Never mind, it's not important. So...what have you been up to?" She knew that Harry was about to ask further questions when Ron could be heard, yelling at top of his lungs.  
  
"Not important??? The future of the Cannons is lying on your shoulders...Seducing Oliver is probably the most important thing you'll ever do..." With that he stormed out of the room.  
  
"Ron!! Argh!" His outburst had destroyed the moment, and she wasn't sure what to do next. "Sorry about that, Harry. Someone should tell Ron there's more to life than the Cannons."  
  
"Yeah.... Once Ron gets an idea in his head... I'm sure that he got you wrong... You seducing Oliver for any reason... that's so unreal."  
  
That was all Harry had needed to say. She would show him that he was wrong. "Oh? And why's that? Don't you think I can?"  
  
"Oh no....I'm sure that you could if the time was right.... When you're older... A lot older... I'm sure you'll be seductive then ... You'll surely seduce your husband, even... " He blushed at this, as if the very idea of a seductive Ginny made him uncomfortable. "But Oliver is years older than you...I don't think that he even thinks of you as more than a little sister... and you see him as a big brother... You wouldn't seduce your brother..." Harry finished his explanation, and Ginny thought to see some pride in his eyes. And she wouldn't do him the favour of giving in to him.  
  
"Of course, I wouldn't seduce my brother. But I see Oliver as a lot more than a big brother! I think I'm going to go for it then. Thanks for helping, Harry! After all, I promised to do it!"  
  
"Oh no, not again... You are not seducing Oliver... not before you're 20 years old... and even then you need a man your own age." Harry looked totally shocked, and Ginny wondered if it was the mental picture of her being old enough to do whatever she wanted or if it was just her plan working  
  
"Honestly Harry! When did you become my father?" It came out much harsher than she had planned, but Harry was definitely making it difficult to stay cool. She recognized with joy that she'd made him blush again. Yeah, there is still hope...  
  
"I'm not... I just taking over Ron's part... if your own brother is sending you off to seduce Oliver... you need somebody who says: NO WAY!" Now that she had her answer, she was wondering how far she could get and so she chose her next words wisely, hoping she would strike gold.  
  
"That's sweet of you Harry, but I have enough brothers, so you don't have to do that. Why don't you help me think up a seduction plan instead? What do you think a good seductress would do?"  
  
"I'm out of here... Next thing you tell me, is that you want to seduce me to get in some practice." He blushed violently, but Ginny felt joy floating through her, that was the answer she'd wanted.  
  
"Oh! Great idea! When can we start?"  
  
"You can't be serious..." He sounded worried, maybe scared, but she knew there was no going back.  
  
"Sure. Why not? Pleeeeeease Harry. I'll owe you forever." She tried her best puppy dog look, and Harry really seemed to be weakening.  
  
"Okay Gin...I'll practice flirting with you, but I'm only doing it because you're my friend. Let's say tonight at 1 AM... then everybody should be asleep," he said, looking defeated, but Ginny heart seemed to suddenly have wings of joy.  
  
~***~  
  
Harry was standing in the Common Room, nervously checking the clock every two seconds. It was 1:05 AM. Ginny was late, and she knew it, but Hermione was standing beside her, whispering the same words over and over again: Let him wait. He looked very nervous, considering the fact that a few hours ago he had told her that she was just a friend. "How long do you want me to wait?" Ginny asked impertinently.  
  
Instead of answering Hermione shoved her down the first step. Not one second too late, or so it seemed, because Harry had turned to the staircase that led back into his dormitory. When he heard her approach, he stopped though, waiting for her arrival. Just like Hermione had told her when they talked through the plan, Ginny didn't speak up while she was descending the last steps. She heard him let out a deep breath, and had to bite her lip, in order not to laugh.  
  
"Sorry I'm late, but the girls in my dormitory never seem to fall asleep," she smiled, apologising.  
  
"That's okay. Where do you want to start?"  
  
"Maybe, we should sit down over there?" Ginny suggested, feeling more comfortable with the situation with each minute that passed.  
  
"Oh, um...yeah, okay." He really sounded as nervous as she had felt just a few minutes ago. When they were standing in front the couch, Harry motioned for her to take a seat. She had expected him to sit next to her but he had sat himself as far away from her as possible. This was a bit frustrating for Ginny. But she had promised to be very patient.  
  
"Um, Harry, I'm not too sure, but I think we need to sit a bit closer."  
  
"Oh...yeah, yeah. I guess so." He looked a bit taken aback, but obviously tried to recover quickly. "I was just testing you to see what you'd do if Oliver did this...yeah, that's right. Good job, Ginny." She turned away from Harry, unable to hide the smile that had formed. This was working great, she decided.  
  
"Okay, so maybe, if Oliver does this..." She got up from the couch, trying to make her hips swing rhythmically to her movements. Her eyes locked with his, never breaking the contact to those green eyes that were burning themselves into her soul. "I'll go over to him, and then I'll sit down next to him like this?" She sat down next to him, their thighs brushing slightly.  
  
"Um..." she could hear him gulp. "Good. I'm sure Oliver would like that."  
  
"Would he like this, too?" Ginny's hand wandered to his cheek, lightly caressing the warm skin, their eyes still connected. "Because I think I'd like somebody do this a lot."  
  
"Er... yeah." Harry's voice cracked, and he coughed, trying to overplay it. "So, now what do you want to know?" Ginny pretended to think over it. In fact she knew exactly what she wanted to ask.  
  
"I guess basically, how I can seduce Oliver? I mean, Oliver and you are similar... and I promised Ron to help..."  
  
"First of all, be yourself. You're an amazing person, he won't be able to resist, I promise." At this Harry was blushing, but also Ginny could feel the heat warming her face.  
  
"How do you mean that? As my friend, or as the brother you want to be, or as a man?" Ginny was hopeful, but somehow she knew that he wasn't ready to give her the answer she wanted to hear.  
  
"Ginny, you are as much my friend as like my sister, but answering you honestly, I think what I said, would be what I'd tell my sister." She smiled, although feeling the pang of the ever nagging question: why? In her heart again she asked, why couldn't he see the truth?  
  
"Well, that's sweet. But what can I do to make sure that Oliver sees me as more than his sister?"  
  
"Just tell him you don't need any more brothers."  
  
"I told you that too. Did it change your feelings in the slightest bit?" She needed to get him thinking, or this would become a never ending story with an unhappy ending.  
  
"Ummm..." Harry gulped again, and Ginny could tell that he knew something had changed. "I don't know... I guess maybe there is something else you could do."  
  
"See? If Oliver really sees me as a sister it won't help, but maybe something else would..." She looked expectantly at Harry.  
  
"What would that be?"  
  
"Not sure... maybe it would help if I...." She bit her lip for a second, before her tongue flickered over her lips for a short moment. Then she put one of her hands on his knee, while her other hand still rested on his cheek. "Would that make the point a bit clearer?"  
  
"Er...umm...What was the question again?"  
  
"I guess you answered the question already," she smiled mischievously. "And how about this?" She leaned forward till there lips almost touched, her warm breath reaching his lips. "If I keep talking in a low voice to him, like now... do you think Oliver would understand that correctly?"  
  
"Well...um...I...uh..."  
  
"Harry? Do you have a problem if I do this?" Ginny asked, trying hard to sound innocent. She still didn't move. If he wanted her to move, he needed to admit his feelings.  
  
"Uh...huh? I mean...no, no. I'm fine...I just need some water or something. Thirsty?" He was blushing furiously, and Ginny couldn't help but giggle.  
  
"Not really but go ahead."  
  
"Er...okay." Harry got up, putting more space between them. "Sorry, it's just really warm in here."  
  
"If you say so, and Harry?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Since you're standing, can you close the window?"  
  
"Ummm...I guess. Don't you like the fresh air?" Ginny couldn't help but shiver. Since Harry had left her side on the sofa, she couldn't help it.  
  
"It's December...the fireplace is almost totally cold, and I'm only wearing a night dress...what do you think?"  
  
"Oh, right. Okay then. So, should we try something else?" He sat down again, looking more comfortable with the situation again. Ginny was just cold and she needed some warmth. As soon as Harry seemed comfortable she snuggled into him, looking at him pleadingly.  
  
"I'm really cold... Harry, keep me warm for a bit..." He hesitated, surely unsure if this was a good idea and Ginny tried again. "Please."  
  
"Of course," he said before folding his arms around her body, making her feel safe. "But maybe we should go back to sleep."  
  
"I don't want to...I only have a few months left, and so much to learn...Just hold me, I'll be fine in a second."  
  
"I don't think you'll have any problem seducing Oliver." And Ginny thought she heard a pang of jealousy in his voice, but maybe she'd only imagined it. Wishful thinking. "Why don't we just rest here?" The heat was returning to Ginny's face, and she was glad that it was well hidden from Harry's view.  
  
"But what if somebody finds us here? They might think that we're... you know..." But she didn't get any response from Harry. Finally she managed to loosen Harry's firm grip a bit, and she saw what she had already expected. He was sound asleep. She tried to free herself totally but Harry's embrace was too strong to escape. Not that she really wanted to, but Hermione...their plan...Slowly sleep was taking over and when she had almost dropped off as well, somebody was suddenly shaking her back to reality. Hermione! She was tugging on Ginny's arm, showing evident dislike for the position she'd found Harry and Ginny in.  
  
"What is going on Gin?" she whispered, in a lecturing sort of voice.  
  
"I was cold...he hugged me...and than he fell asleep...but I can't get free all by myself...Too strong," Ginny explained, feeling a bit sorry that Hermione had to get her out of this.  
  
Seconds later, Ginny was standing next to Hermione, looking down at Harry. "I'll wait in your dormitory, if you're not up there in three minutes I'll be down here again, but next time, you'll get a lecture." Hermione walked away, leaving Ginny alone, in front of the Harry's sleeping form. He looked so peaceful. She took a blanket from one of the seats and put it over Harry, leaning forward till their lips almost touched once more. No, that wouldn't be right.  
  
"Goodnight, Harry, and sleep tight," she whispered before going after Hermione. Yes, soon she would see if she could win the most important game of her life.  
  
A/N: I do not even want to tell you when Sue and I wrote the dialogues for this chapter...just be assured it was months ago. Therefore the long chapter wait was my entire fault. BTW: Is anybody still reading this story?  
  
Anyway: A big thanks to Anne for beta-reading this for us. Also to all our reviewers: Thank you tons, and don't forget to review this chapter as well. ;-) You'll be surprised because I'll stop the A/N here and that before we reach 100 words. LOL. That's good and new. :-D Bye 


	3. Way 3: Sometimes, you need to embarrass ...

Way 3: Sometimes, you need to embarrass yourself to reach your goal. OR The chapter where the PG/PG13 line is clearly drawn.  
  
"Oh, Ginny..." Harry was whispering in his dream unaware that he wasn't alone anymore. Two students had just made it into the Gryffindor common room. One of them looked highly scandalized, the second looked very amused indeed.  
  
"Ginny please..." his breathing had become shallow, making the girl in the room blush slightly.  
  
"Oh that git! Ginny had better not be here with him!" Ron said furiously, running over to Harry. He leaned down under the sofa Harry was sleeping on, moving his hands over the ground as if he had lost something.  
  
"Ah... this is... Ohhh," Harry continued, turning over in his sleep.  
  
"Honestly Ron! Can't you see he's asleep? He's probably just dreaming," Hermione answered trying to hush him.  
  
"Bloody hell...He can't dream about Ginny like I dream about..."Suddenly Ron blushed violently. "Forget it! He just can't...that's sick!"  
  
"Harry can't exactly control his dreams Ron." Hermione too, had become beet red, pressing her hand against her cheek.  
  
"He'd better," Ron muttered, speaking a bit more calmly now, since Harry seemed have to have stopped talking, and Hermione had put her arm on his back.  
  
"Right there... Ginny you're gorgeous," Harry let out, making both, Ron and Hermione jump.  
  
"Perhaps we should wake him up?" Hermione questioned, lightly tugging on Harry's arm.  
  
"What are you trying here? Punch him awake, that would serve him right..."  
  
"Ron! Don't you dare bother Harry about this. His dreams are private, we can't..." Hermione protested, but...  
  
"Stop it Hermione. As soon as he fell asleep in the common room, his dreams stopped being private. Everybody could have overheard his dreams about Ginny... Somebody could have told Oliver Wood. What would he think if Harry dreams like this about his very own date."  
  
Hermione was getting slightly frustrated. Of course Ginny had told her about the fake newspaper article, but she couldn't let Ron find that out, since she had promised Ginny. "Why do you suddenly care about what Oliver Wood thinks?"  
  
"Because my dear Hermione- I really wonder why you don't read the sports section as well- Ginny is the only hope for the cannons!"  
  
"You mean, all of this worrying is for the Cannons? You'd think maybe you'd be concerned about your sister Ron, but nooo...all you care about are the Cannons!" Hermione argued hotly.  
  
"Ohhh Ginny..." Harry moaned, taking Ron the last bit of self-control.  
  
"Oh now you want to blame me?! I'm not the one who dreams about Ginny like this!" Ron said looking murderous.  
  
"My goodness, Ron, I hope not!" Hermione shoved her hand in front of her mouth and Ron finally realized that she was trying desperately not to burst into a giggling fit.  
  
"What? Why?" Ron's eyes suddenly widened when he finally realised what he had implied here. "Of course I'd never...that would be sick...even sicker than Harry..."  
  
"Uhm...Ginny that's wonderful..."  
  
"Could we please wake him up now? I'll not even mention his dream, but please?!" Ron sounded desperate.  
  
"Yes, for once I agree," she answered, beginning to pull his arm even harder. Harry stirred but didn't seem to realise who was waking him. However, when Hermione leaned a bit more down, Harry pulled her closer, kissing her with total abandon. Harry's eyes opened, since Hermione had started to kick violently. As fast as this kiss had begun, it was over again.  
  
"Harry what were you thinking?!" Hermione yelled, looking as if she had just been kissed by Draco Malfoy. Harry couldn't stop muttering his apologies. In fact only one person couldn't stop laughing: Ron.  
  
"What?" Hermione asked glaring at her boyfriend.  
  
"I'm just glad, I didn't wake him!" he answered, holding onto his body tightly.  
  
~*~  
  
Harry looked around as he walked into the common room. Gasping a sigh of relief that Hermione was nowhere to be seen. He found a seat next to Ginny, and for some reason that he still couldn't pinpoint, he wanted to sit close to her. He wasn't even sure why he had kissed...Better not to think about it, he realised, startled.  
  
"Hi, Ginny. How was your day?" He tried to sound light and carefree. Ginny looked up from the book she was reading, giving him a funny look. She didn't know, did she?  
  
"Oh, pretty much as every day...so I guess you could call it okay."  
  
"Mine too. Nothing unusual happened to me today," he said uneasily. "Well, okay. Maybe one thing happened that was unusual, but that was about it, so, er, I guess you could say it was a usual day." Ginny looked curiously at him, laying her book back on the table.  
  
"Do I want to know what the unusual thing was?" Her eyes were dancing with mischief.  
  
"No, it was nothing, really." Harry decided to change the subject quickly. "So...er...are you..."  
  
"Well, well, well...if you don't want to tell me, of course I won't ask you again. But you know, you can't really do anything that would shock me anymore. I've heard everything: Snape in a dress, Malfoy being accused of looking cute, Ron being a good kisser...What could you tell me that'd be new?" She smiled innocently.  
  
"Well, er..." Harry desperately tried to think up a way to change the subject. "I don't think I'm going to be able to go to the ball... I can't dance."  
  
"Well that didn't stop you from going to the Yule Ball in fourth year... Besides you could always ask Hermione for a few dance lessons," Ginny suggested sounding frustrated because he had started a story that he never planned to finish.  
  
Harry felt his face become warm. "There's no way I'm asking Hermione for dance lessons. Not after..."  
  
"Not after what?" Hermione hadn't told her anything...Harry could tell that much. Still he was going to look as if he had kissed Malfoy in the middle of the Great Hall...  
  
"Well, Hermione might not want much to do with me right now."  
  
Ginny looked confused... And Harry could just imagine what she was thinking: Why in the name of Merlin would Hermione refuse to do something with Harry? That must be a great story.  
  
"And why would that be?" He knew it!  
  
"We just had a little bit of an, er, run-in this morning."  
  
"Harry James Potter! You tell me right now what happened, or I'll go and ask Hermione. So?" She had been more patient than he thought she would.  
  
"No wait--" Harry held out his hand to stop Ginny from getting up. He paused a minute, taking as much time as he could. When he reckoned he couldn't hold her there any longer, he blurted, "She woke me up this morning, and I guess I was a little out of sorts..."  
  
"And?" Her expression had changed. Suddenly, she didn't look so excited anymore.  
  
"I kissed her." Harry was secretly hoping that the ground would open up and swallow him whole at that moment.  
  
"YOU WHAT?! YOU KISSED MY BROTHER'S GIRLFRIEND?! ARE YOU INSANE? WHAT WOULD RON SAY IF HE EVER FOUND OUT?!"  
  
"Well, he was sort of there."  
  
Ginny's eyes widened in surprise "And you are still alive? I'm impressed!"  
  
"He laughed at me!"  
  
"He what? No, I don't want to know...You trust me Harry, right?"  
  
"Yes, of course I trust you."  
  
"Good...I'll teach you how to dance...since you're helping me to be flirty...Tonight...same time, same place...But now I have to go...Sorry," Ginny jumped up running in the direction of the Portrait Hole...Where was she going? Harry stared after her, trying to work out what Ginny had just said.  
  
~*~  
  
Hermione was sitting in the library, sorting through her homework...She should have known that Dean would return it in a total mess. There was roll twelve, coming after roll seven and so on...It was horrible...She looked up and saw Ginny walking quickly towards her. Ginny pulled up a chair, and sat across from Hermione, staring at her until Hermione was forced to speak.  
  
"What is it?" Hermione asked, feeling uncomfortable under Ginny's intense look.  
  
"How could you?" Hermione waited for Ginny to explain, but Ginny seemed to think Hermione automatically knew what she was talking about.  
  
"How could I what? What are you talking about?"  
  
"You know what I'm talking about!"  
  
"Hush...we're in the library... and I have no idea what you mean...so tell me, or let me finish my work!" Hermione snapped back  
  
"Harry told me what happened between you two this morning."  
  
"What do you mean? - Oh... ohhhhh," Hermione felt herself blush.  
  
"Now will you please explain to me what that was all about?"  
  
"He was sleeping...and he didn't know who I was...In fact, he thought I was somebody else..."  
  
"Oh," Ginny said quietly, slumping down in her chair a little. She seemed to be thinking quietly, adverting her eyes towards her hands drumming on the table. Suddenly, a moment later, her eyes lit up and she snapped her head back in Hermione's direction. "WHAT? Who was he thinking of?"  
  
"Uhm ...a girl?" Hermione answered, knowing how evil this was, but teasing a Weasley, even if it was her best female friend...She had to do it.  
  
"Hermione, this is not the time to joke around," Ginny said, her eyes beginning to flash dangerously. "I can't believe it...First Cho, then Katie, now who?" Hermione bit her lip to keep herself from laughing out loud.  
  
"Who do you think that he was dreaming about?" When Ginny still looked clueless, she added, "You, of course!" And with that Hermione got up to leave the room. When she turned back once more, she could see Ginny opening and closing her mouth without getting out one word....  
  
"Oh those two will be definitely very interesting to watch!" she said to herself once she'd left the library.  
~*~  
  
When Ginny finally went down the staircase to the Common Room that night, she felt a new sensation in her stomach. Harry really seemed to be noticing her at long last. Tonight, she'd be hopefully able to open his eyes... And if she could, maybe Harry would ask her to the ball right away? Maybe, he wouldn't go with Cho, and she could stop the charade with Oliver?  
  
Harry was already waiting for her, and Ginny caught her breath. There, right next to the fireplace, his face looked so beautiful.... It was as if she knew every single curve of it and she wondered briefly, about what Harry might be thinking about: her?  
  
"Hello, Harry!" she said a little louder than she had intended to. "I know, I'm late again, but I promise you'll get what you want." If only you'd want me!  
  
She thought she saw a little bit of red, creep up Harry's cheeks. She wondered if it had to do with her wording. She secretly hoped so. "That's okay Ginny. I don't mind waiting for you."  
  
Ginny bit her tongue so she wouldn't burst... This was almost too good.  
  
"Well then, first of all, we should get the furniture out of our way." Harry nodded and started to shove a few chairs aside. However she had forgotten to look away in time... And now she couldn't stop herself from staring. She could see the way his muscles were working, and the heat inside of her was almost unbearable. Her Hogwarts uniform, which she hadn't bothered changing out of, remembering how cold she had been last night, suddenly felt far too heavy.  
  
She was just pulling her sweater over her head when she felt an unexpected chill touching her skin.... That was when she realised that she'd probably caught her shirt up with the wool as well... Oh please God, don't let Harry see me... oh wait, I'm not sure if that's what I want! Let's start over... When she could finally see again, she met Harry's eyes staring at... She felt herslf blushing very violently, but he turned around at the same time she did, obviously very embarassed.  
  
Finally they had enough space, and Ginny needed every ounce of her courage to speak up again.  
  
"What are you most interested in trying?" She wanted to smack herself. Maybe it was only her, but she really had a very bad way of wording things tonight.  
  
Harry coughed. Then looked into her eyes, and started to choke. Ginny considered pulling Harry over to the couch, but he finally got it out of his system on his own. "Um...well, perhaps we should open a window first. It's a little warm in here. Don't you think?"  
  
"We tried that yesterday, Harry... I'm rather hot right now..." Argh! "But if you open a window I might start freezing again."  
  
"Okay. I guess it'll just be a little hot in here tonight."  
  
"Maybe, you should drink a glass of water? That might help," she answered very proud of herself that she had managed a sentence that couldn't get her into any trouble. Luckily Harry seemed to be too wrapped up in hiding his own embarrassment to tease her.  
  
"Er, no...that's okay. Let's just get started. Where do I um..." He placed his hands very lightly on her shoulders. She had to close her eyes and breathe out slowly to stop the goose bumps from rising. The touch was very light, yet all she could feel where the electric sensations from where his hand was placed. "Is this where I put my hands?" he finally finished.  
  
"Depends what sort of dancing you'd like to learn." Her voice sounded lower now. "If you feel up to learning real steps, formal dancing... or if you'd just like to survive a slow dance or two." She winked at him, slowly getting used to his hands.  
  
"I guess I should learn formal dancing since I have to learn. And since I have such a willing partner...er, teacher...er..."  
  
"Whatever you think. But let me warn you that there are only two weeks left before the ball, and formal dancing is rather hard to learn, if you don't have already some experience." Ginny saw Harry's face grow pale. "With rhythmic movements I mean... You know, dancing!"  
  
"Yeah, of course. Let's just start at the basics, and see how far we can go from there."  
  
"Okay. You need to place your right hand on my shoulder blade.... A little lower, lower, ... too low!"  
  
"Oh! Um, sorry," he coughed. She took his other hand, and Harry began to slowly follow Ginny's movements. Ginny was about to comment on how fast of a learner he was, when Harry stepped on her foot. If she had been paying attention, she would have prevented herself from falling forward into Harry. Unfortunatly, she wasn't paying attention.  
  
Harry, however, closed his arms more tightly around her, squeezing her against him. Ginny's face was pressed against his chest, causing her to breathe in his very own scent. Harry didn't say a word and Ginny started to feel very warm again.  
  
"Well," Ginny finally said trying to safe the situation. "Since we've already changed positions, we can try less formal dancing."  
  
"Is this too close? Should I, er...back up a little?" But Harry didn't back up at all, instead he pulled her a little closer, if that was possible.  
  
"Well, depends on who you are dancing with." Her heart sped up, and she thought she might explode any second.  
  
"Are you, um, comfortable?" Yes, apart from the fact that I'm going to hyperventilate. "Am I doing this right?"  
  
"You're perfect." She bit her lip this time. Definitely the wrong words. She could hear Harry laugh softly, and she relaxed a bit. It was fine after all. However, suddenly she felt something that she had never felt before... never ever. Something hard was pressed against her, and she could just imagine what it was. How could she save the situation now?  
  
She looked up at Harry, and Harry suddenly turned red. "Actually, I think I could go for that glass of water right now," he squeaked, loosening his grip.  
  
Ginny couldn't let him go like that or he'd never get over it. "You really shouldn't worry about it Harry. It's no big deal." When Harry blushed even more, she added, "I meant, it's natural, you know?" But Harry stepped completely away from her now, turning into the direction of the boys' dormitories.  
  
"Um, I'm actually kind of tired now. Night, Ginny," he said running towards the stairs.  
  
"Harry! Wait..." She stamped her foot. That really hadn't worked... She sat down in one of they chairs. Great, now I'm stuck putting the furniture back by myself... On the other hand, that was really interesting.... Oh in the name of Godric Gryffindor, did I just feel what I think I felt?!  
  
A/N: Everyone blame the late chapter on my professors. They are evil; even more evil than Carrie is in this chapter.  
  
I wasn't the only evil person here.... You always need a partner in crime for such things. But, before we keep blaming each other: Thanks to Anne for betaing, and thanks to everybody who decided to read this. And the thanks of the five months since we updated goes to.... Carissa, for asking me on a regular basis, when we plan to write this. Without her, this chapter would still wait on my computer drives for finishing!  
  
Yes, thanks to all of you! Now, Carrie said no more promising smut for reviews, sooooo, *begs*...  
  
... please still leave us a review. (Besides I'm still trying to get out my last promised smut story, nobody would believe us anyway!) Happy Easter all of you. (  
  
Yes! Happy Easter! And Carrie, get on with the story! 


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